If kids say the darndest things, it's safe to say that pets do the darndest things. One of the great joys of having a cat, dog, or other small animal to call your own is the endlessly entertainment they bring you. The way we communicate, and miscommunicate, with our pets is magical and hilarious. When you're lucky enough to capture some of that magic on film, you get the memory of a lifetime.
Taking photos are also an expression of love. It's no secret that pet owners are obsessed with snapping candid photos of sleeping dogs, yawning cats, and anything that looks cute, cuddly, or hilarious.
The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards are a fun-filled competition created by Tom Sullam and Paul Joynson-Hicks to promote positive awareness of animal welfare issues. Past winners include a well-timed shot of a monkey who appears to have hurt the family jewels on a suspension wire. (Don't worry folks, no monkeys were harmed for the awards.) The competition has been so successful, the duo decided to branch out and create the Comedy Pet Photo Awards, where photographers can submit pictures of their furry friends for a £2,000 ($2650) prize.
Donations generated by the competition go to Animal Support Angels, an animal welfare charity in the U.K. The 2024 winner features a dog shoving his head through a way-too-small cat door. In 2023, the champion was a kitten caught redheaded trying to sneak attack his brother.
But even several years later, the crop of winners from the 2021 contest remains one of the best ever. The overall champion was Zoe Ross for "Whizz Pop," a photo of her labrador puppy Pepper who appears to be tooting bubbles.
“We never ever thought that we would win but entered the competition because we loved the idea of helping a charity just by sending in a funny photo of Pepper," Ross said in a statement. "She is such a little monkey, and very proud of herself, bringing in items from the garden and parading past you until you notice her. She is the happiest puppy we’ve ever known and completely loved to pieces.”
Here are the rest of the winners of the 2021 Comedy Pet Photo Awards.
Overall Winner: Zoe Ross "Whizz Pop," Penkridge, U.K.
Overall Winner: Zoe Ross "Whizz Pop," Labrador puppy, Penkridge, UK © Zoe Ross /Animal Friends Comedy Pet Photo Awards 2021
Did this puppy swallow a bubble? Either he drank some bubble solution or this photographer just happened to have remarkable timing.
Best Dog Category: Carmen Cromer "Jurassic Bark," Pittsboro, North Carolina
Best Dog Category: Carmen Cromer "Jurassic Bark," Pittsboro, North Carolina © Carmen Cromer/Animal Friends Comedy Pet Photo Awards 2021
"My golden retriever, Clementine, loves to stick her face in front of the hose while I water the plants. Her expression in this photo made me think of a tyrannosaurus rex, hence the title, "Jurassic Bark." Duh nuh nuuuh nuhnuh, duh nuh nuuuh nuh nuh, dun duh duuuh nuh nuh nuh nUUUUUUhhhh." – Carmen Cromer
Best Cat Category: Kathrynn Trott "Photobomb," Ystradgynlais, U.K.
Best Cat Category: Kathrynn Trott "Photobomb," Ystradgynlais, U.K. © Kathrynn Trott/Animal Friends Comedy Pet Photo Awards 2021
Jeff stealing the limelight from his brother Jaffa. What is it that cats love so much about photobombing?
Best Horse Category: Mary Ellis, "I Said 'Good Morning,'" Platte River State Park, Nebraska
Best Horse Category: Mary Ellis, "I Said 'Good Morning,'" Platte River State Park, Nebraska © Mary Ellis/Animal Friends Comedy Pet Photo Awards 2021
"I like to visit the stable horses before I begin my hike at the State Park. This is the reply I received when I said 'Good morning.'" – Mary Ellis
When they say you should never look a gift horse in the mouth, maybe this is what they had in mind.
All Other Creatures Category: Sophie Bonnefoi, "The Eureka Moment," Oxford, U.K.
All Other Creatures Category: Sophie Bonnefoi, "The Eureka Moment," Oxford, U.K. © Sophie Bonnefoi/Animal Friends Comedy Pet Photo Awards 2021
"Cutie and Speedy are two chicks hatched from eggs placed in an incubator at home in August 2020. They spent their first few weeks indoors. In the photo, they are just over two weeks old. They were curious about everything. This is the day they discovered their own shadow. It was hilarious to see them wondering and exploring that 'dark thing' that was moving with them!" – Sophie Bonnefoi
Junior Category: Suzi Lonergan, "Sit!" Pacific Palisades, California
Junior Category: Suzi Lonergan, "Sit!" Pacific Palisades, California © Suzi Lonergan/Animal Friends Comedy Pet Photo Awards 2021
"Our granddaughter gave the command to sit. Beau is very obedient." – Suzi Lonergan
Anyone who's ever owned an oversized dog has been here before. This snapshot absolutely reflects the hilarious reality of keeping a gentle giant in your home.
Pets Who Look Like Their Owners Category: Jakub Gojda, "That Was a Good One!" Czech Republic
Pets Who Look Like Their Owners Category: Jakub Gojda, "That Was a Good One!" Czech Republic © Jakub Gojda/Animal Friends Comedy Pet Photo Awards 2021
"This photo was taken by accident during the photography of my ex-girlfriend with her beloved mare. For this cheerful moment, I thank the fly that sat on the horse's nose and he instinctively shook his head." – Jakub Gojda.
The resemblance is uncanny!
Highly Commended: Chloe Beck, "Hugo the Photobomber," Walsall, U.K.
Highly Commended: Chloe Beck, "Hugo the Photobomber," Walsall, U.K. © Chloe Beck/Animal Friends Comedy Pet Photo Awards 2021
"This is my best friend Faith, her husband Alex, and their cheeky Sproodle, Hugo. Faith wanted a photograph to mark a special occasion—her first outing after shielding at home for 14 months. Hugo jumped into the frame at just the right moment!" – Chloe Beck
Highly Commended: Luke O'Brien, "Mumford and Chum," Coventry, U.K.
Highly Commended: Luke O'Brien, "Mumford and Chum," Coventry, U.K. © Luke O'Brien/Animal Friends Comedy Pet Photo Awards 2021
"Losing the opportunity to play with my human bandmates during lockdown, Flint, my rescue dog, soon taught me that we didn't just have sharp bones in common, but musical ones, too. He soon became the perfect substitute for a collaborative stomp up at home, so much so that we felt we deserved our own band name (Muttford and Chum). With my camera set up remotely during this shoot, I think it's fair to say that the image is proof that his conviction as a performer matches my own." – Luke O'Brien.
Luke and Flint could have been strong competitors in the lookalike contest, if you ask me.
Highly Commended: Kathryn Clark, "Wine Time," Cichester, U.K.
Highly Commended: Kathryn Clark, "Wine Time," Cichester, U.K. © Kathryn Clark/Animal Friends Comedy Pet Photo Awards 2021
"It's that time of day again! Little Blue enjoys it almost as much as me." – Kathryn Clark.
This cat just gets it.
Highly Commended: Diana Jill Mehner, "Crazy in Love With Fall," Paderborn, Germany
Highly Commended: Diana Jill Mehner, "Crazy in Love With Fall," Paderborn, Germany © Diana Jill Mehner/Animal Friends Comedy Pet Photo Awards 2021
"This is Leia. As you can see, she definitely loves playing with all the leaves in autumn. It was really tricky to take this picture because you never know what the dog is going to do next." – Diana Jill Mehner.
Highly Commended: Christine Johnson, "Boing," Crosby Beach, U.K.
Highly Commended: Christine Johnson, "Boing," Crosby Beach, U.K. © Christine Johnson/Animal Friends Comedy Pet Photo Awards 2021
"I was busy playing with my dog on the beach and this dog came to play. I liked the shapes he was making in the air." – Christine Johnson
Highly Commended: Manel Subirats Ferrer, "Ostrich Style," Platja del Prat de Llobregat, Spain
Highly Commended: Manel Subirats Ferrer, "Ostrich Style," Platja del Prat de Llobregat, Spain © Manel Subirats Ferrer/Animal Friends Comedy Pet Photo Awards 2021
Nuka playing hide and seek at the beach. Hey, we've all buried our head in the sand at one point or another.
Highly Commended: Colin Doyle, "Nosey Neighbor," Bromsgrove, U.K.
Highly Commended: Colin Doyle, "Nosey Neighbor," Bromsgrove, U.K. © Colin Doyle/Animal Friends Comedy Pet Photo Awards 2021
"According to Ozzy, we need a new fence panel ASAP. He is fed up with Chester our nosy next door neighbor spying on him every time he has a meal." – Colin Doyle.
There's a lot going on in this one, but the hidden camera is what really makes it a winner.
Highly Commended: Corey Seeman, "A Warm Spot on a Cold Day," Michigan
Highly Commended: Corey Seeman, "A Warm Spot on a Cold Day," Michigan © Corey Seeman/Animal Friends Comedy Pet Photo Awards 2021
"Two of the morning regulars at the dog park are Gary (hound mix with the jacket) and Kona, one of the most chill dogs ever." – Corey Seeman.
Highly Commended: Lucy Slater, "So What?" San Diego, California
Highly Commended: Lucy Slater, "So What?" San Diego, California © Lucy Slater/Animal Friends Comedy Pet Photo Awards 2021
"This is how I like to sit!" – Vincent the cat
Highly Commended: Mollie Cheary, "Photobomb," Poole, U.K.
Highly Commended: Mollie Cheary, "Photobomb," Poole, U.K. © Mollie Cheary/Animal Friends Comedy Pet Photo Awards 2021
The photos are hilarious and adorable, but you might wonder: What's the point of all this?
The founders have actually given that quite a bit of thought. According to the website:
"Lots of people ask us why we do the competition and what we are trying to achieve. This is an epic question. So, we’ve had a really good think, (with tea and biccies obvs) and come up with this: 'Through the Comedy Pets, we want to promote positive awareness of animal welfare issues and celebrate the incredible and valuable contribution that pets can and do have on our lives.'"
So you're actually doing a lot of good by viewing, laughing at, and even sharing these photos. Great work!
This article originally appeared four years ago. It has been updated.,
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